Chiral cyclic [n]spirobifluorenylenes: carbon nanorings consisting of helically arranged quaterphenyl rods illustrating partial units of woven patterns

Chiral cyclic [n]spirobifluorenylenes consisting of helically arranged quaterphenyl rods, illustrating partial units of woven patterns, were designed and synthesized as a new family of carbon nanorings. The synthesis was accomplished by the Ni(0)-mediated Yamamoto-coupling of chiral spirobifluorene building blocks. The structures of the cyclic 3-, 4-, and 5-mers were determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. These carbon nanorings exhibited a strong violet colored emission with high quantum yields in solution (95%, 93%, and 94% for 3-, 4-, and 5-mer, respectively). Other spectroscopic properties, including their chiroptical properties, were also investigated. The g-values for circularly polarized luminescence were found to be in the order of 10⁻³. Characteristic spiroconjugation induced by multiple (≧3) bifluorenyl units, for example the even-odd effect of the number of units in the matching of the signs of the orbitals, was also indicated by DFT calculations.

Chiral cyclic [n]spirobifluorenylenes consisting of helically arranged quaterphenyl rods, illustrating partial units of woven patterns, were designed and synthesized as a new family of carbon nanorings.     

Shimalactone Biosynthesis Involves Spontaneous Double Bicyclo-Ring Formation with 8π-6π Electrocyclization

Shimalactones A and B are neuritogenic polyketides possessing characteristic oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane and bicyclo[4.2.0]octadiene ring systems that are produced by the marine fungus Emericella variecolor GF10. We identified a candidate biosynthetic gene cluster and conducted heterologous expression analysis. Expression of ShmA polyketide synthase in Aspergillus oryzae resulted in the production of preshimalactone. Aspergillus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae transformants expressing ShmA and ShmB produced shimalactones A and B, thus suggesting that the double bicyclo-ring formation reactions proceed non-enzymatically from preshimalactone epoxide. DFT calculations strongly support the idea that oxabicyclo-ring formation and 8π-6π electrocyclization proceed spontaneously after opening of the preshimalactone epoxide ring through protonation. We confirmed the formation of preshimalactone epoxide in vitro, followed by its non-enzymatic conversion to shimalactones in the dark.     

Total Synthesis of cis‐Clavicipitic Acid from Asparagine via Ir‐Catalyzed CH bond Activation as a Key Step

4‐Substituted tryptophan derivatives and the total synthesis of cis‐clavicipitic acid were achieved in reactions in which Ir‐catalyzed C?H bond activation was a key step. The starting material for these reactions is asparagine, which is a cheap natural amino acid. The reductive amination step from the 4‐substituted tryptophan derivative gave cis‐clavicipitic acid with perfect diastereoselectivity.     

Nickel-catalyzed reductive cleavage of aryl alkyl ethers to arenes in absence of external reductant

The reductive cleavage of the C–O bonds of aryl ethers has great potential in organic synthesis. Although several catalysts that can promote the reductive cleavage of aryl ethers have been reported, all such systems require the use of an external reductant, e.g., hydrosilane or hydrogen. Here, we report the development of a new nickel-based catalytic system that can cleave the C–O bonds of ethers in the absence of an external reductant. The hydrogen atom required in this new reductive cleavage reaction is provided by the alkoxy group of the substrate, which serves as an internal reductant. The absence of an external reductant enables the unique chemoselectivity, i.e., the selective reduction of an alkoxy group over alkenes and ketones.     

Liquid crystalline polyurethane. Polyurethanes containing bis-(p-oxymethylphenyl) terephthalate

Several polyurethanes based on bis-(p-oxymethylphenyl) terephthalate (BOPT) were synthesized and studied with respect to some of their thermal properties. BOPT exhibits a mesomorphic phase at 252–264°C. Polymerization was carried out by equimolar reaction with hexamethyl-ene diisocyanate (HDI), 4,4-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate (H₁₂MDI) α,α'-diisocyanate-1,3-dimethylcyclohexane (H6 XDI), 4,4′-diphenylmeth-ane diisocyanate (MDI), 2,4-tolylene diisocyanate (TDI), and phenylene diisocyanate (PDI). It became clear that polyurethanes obtained from BOPT with HDI, H₁₂MDI, H₆XDI, and TDI have mesomorphic phases at 243–291, 214–250, 172–229, and 180–234°C, respectively, as determined by DSC and polarized microscopy, and that all polyurethanes are crystalline as evidenced by x-ray diffraction.     

Vinyl Polymerization. 269. Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate Initiated by p,p'-Dimethoxydiphenyldiazomethane

Using p,p'-dimethoxydiphenyldiazomethane (DMDM) as initiator, the polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in benzene or in bulk was carried out. The initial rate of polymerization, R_p, was found to be expressed by the following equation:

R_p = k[DMDM]^0.53 [MMA]^0.84

The polymerization was confirmed to proceed by a radical mechanism. The over-all activation energy for the polymerization in benzene was calculated as 19.3 kcal/mole. The rate of thermal decomposition of DMDM was also measured in benzene and the rate equation was obtained as follows:

k_d (sec^?1) = 1.0 × 10¹⁵ exp (^?29.1 kcal/RT) (for 50-80°C)

Explanations of these observations are discussed in connection with those of the preceding papers.     

Some Regularity Criteria for Affine Semilocal Rings

The purpose of this article is to study an existence of p-bases and mainly to give some regularity criteria for semilocal rings essentially of finite type over fields.     

Identification of conjugation positions of urinary glucuronidated vitamin D3 metabolites by LC/ESI–MS/MS after conversion to MS/MS‐fragmentable derivatives

A liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry‐based method was developed for the identification of the conjugation positions of the monoglucuronides of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D₃ [25(OH)D₃] and 24,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D₃ [24,25(OH)₂D₃] in human urine. The method employed derivatization with 4‐(4‐dimethylaminophenyl)‐1,2,4‐triazoline‐3,5‐dione to convert the glucuronides into fragmentable derivatives, which provided useful product ions for identifying the conjugation positions during the MS/MS. The derivatization also enhanced the assay sensitivity and specificity for urine sample analysis. The positional isomeric monoglucuronides, 25(OH)D₃‐3‐ and ‐25‐glucuronides, or 24,25(OH)₂D₃‐3‐, ‐24‐ and ‐25‐glucuronides, were completely separated from each other under the optimized LC conditions. Using this method, the conjugation positions were successfully determined to be the C3 and C24 positions for the glucuronidated 25(OH)D₃ and 24,25(OH)₂D₃, respectively. The 3‐glucuronide was not present for 24,25(OH)₂D₃, unlike 25(OH)D₃, thus we found that selective glucuronidation occurs at the C24‐hydroxy group for 24,25(OH)₂D₃.